Clarendon North Central Residents Get NSHP Houses

Eighty-seven-year-old Lillian Wynter was a picture of gratitude after being presented with the keys to her new $7-million home by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during a hand over ceremony at Post Road, Woodhall, Clarendon on Wednesday (July 20).

Ms. Wynter was one of two beneficiaries of houses in the Clarendon North Central constituency, provided under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP). The other recipient was 57-year-old Albert Logan of Goodon Hill, Trout Hall Pass, who received a one-bedroom house which was constructed at a cost of $4 million.

A recommendation was made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, and Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan for the construction of the units.

In Ms. Wynter’s case, her granddaughter requested the house on her behalf. The three-bedroom unit will benefit Ms. Wynter, her granddaughter, two great grandchildren and a great great grandchild.

“I feel good and I thank the Lord who spare[d] my life that I could live to see this new home … and I thank the MP … and all who put effort to make this home for me, Ms. Wynter told JIS News.

Prime Minister Holness said the provision of the home “will help to break the inter-generational poverty that the generations to come will have a roof over their heads.

“We are very happy to do this, because when … we look at where you were living, we believe nobody should be living in those circumstances. We believe that there is a minimum standard of shelter that every Jamaican should get,” he said.

Mr. Holness stressed that where there are persons living in deplorable conditions, it behooves the state to intervene and provide better conditions.

“They may not be able to pay for it, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t get it. So we have devised this programme which is the New Social Housing Programme to go through each constituency and identify our Jamaican brothers and sisters who are … living in the worst of the worst conditions and we will intervene to build a housing solution for them,” he said.

The Prime Minister said it is estimated that approximately 6,000 persons are living in substandard conditions “and very soon, we will be doing 500 to 600 units per year in ensuring that the worst of the worst housing conditions are addressed in Jamaica”.

The NSHP was established in 2018 by Prime Minister Holness as a component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme. It was developed to improve the housing condition of the country’s poor and disadvantaged population by providing quality, affordable and sustainable housing.

As at yesterday, (Wednesday, July 20), a total of 75 housing units had been completed under the NSHP, benefitting over 379 individuals across 37 constituencies.

Currently, there are 75 active construction projects ongoing in 31 constituencies. It is expected that all projects will be completed by the end of this financial year (2022/2023). Additionally, 177 units are expected to commence within this financial year.